iTunes Review

This Oregon duo perform electronically enhanced indie-pop with a thick reverb sheen that turns what could be rudimentary folk songs into stargazing epics. The simple acoustic guitar plucking of “Shed Your Love” transforms beyond its sparse beginnings as the string section emerges and the initial lonesome drifter feel finds a pathway into space. “Broken Afternoon” works similarly, beginning like an old Bob Dylan tune or Paul Westerberg ballad where the orchestration fleshes things out and sends the sentiments into a haunting otherworldly dimension. Elsewhere, “No Regrets” knocks out a lo-fi backporch jam with a screeching harmonica and joyous yelps that urge on the group sing-a-long. Sometimes their folk roots are discarded for their pop influences; singer Brandon Summers never completely loses his Dylan-like rasp, but musically the band switches gears. The album’s opener, “Lately,” revolves around an elliptical shimmer of keyboards and Smiths-like guitar where the legacy of British shoegazer bands are evoked. “Can’t Say No” follows with a misty melancholy that recalls the Clientele’s foggy notions. The title track does battle with bands such as Interpol and Editors for its elucidation of British goth-pop. Songs often pass as dreams in an attractive twilight worth revisiting.

Customer Reviews

Wow!

by
red_swingline_stapler

A rare and sparkling gem in the refuse dump of contemporary music.

Without a doubt, their best to date.

by
The Girl From Back Then

I knew from the first seconds of "Lately" that this was going to be a great record.
Love and Distance was a long and sleepy polyphonic ode (and the opposite of a sophomore slump), while Com Plex/Young Effectuals was a debut founded on love for electronics and experimentalism. Both are combined here in a true testament to growth, while remaining true to their signature sound. Brandon's vocals have never been clearer or refined, something that was threatened over the course of the past two years with illness and damaged vocal chords.
Glad to see the road's in clear view in the distance up ahead.

An Escape thru the headphones

by
Nickplay

This album will connect with you. It will bring about thoughts of going out on the town, living life, and loving someone. They have yet to disappoint with their albums. And this one is the same. It has its own sound, but you immediately recognize it as helio. Anyways I hope you enjoy as much as I am right now.

Biography

Formed: 1999 in Portland, OR

Genre: Alternative

Years Active: '00s, '10s

The Portland-based duo Helio Sequence is comprised of vocalist/guitarist Brandon Summers and keyboardist/drummer Benjamin Weikel. Debuting in 1999 with an ambient, psychedelic sound that placed as much emphasis on the guitar as Summers' muted vocals, the band issued the Accelerated Slow-Motion Cinema EP before dropping the full-length Com Plex in 2000. Helio Sequence's 100-percent home studio approach allowed for a lot of sonic experimentation, and that aesthetic informed the swirls and layers of...